I'm thinking about doing the Cambridge diet

[melonandpapayaandmango]

At 5'4, nearly 19 stone things are getting desperate.

I'll listen to all views but I DESPERATELY want to lose this weight!

I'm on Lighter Life which I think is the same as Cambridge but with meetings. Have to say, it's been bloody amazing. Lost 1.5 stones in 6 weeks and visibly shrinking! Not without its darker moments - major temptations to lapse. But hanging on in there till I reach my goal. Remember how desperate I felt before and how demotivating it is trying so hard and only having little weight losses. So desperation is good. Go for it. But really go for it. No cheating!

Yes, it is the cheating I worry about. I can't possibly afford to cheat!

I love the idea of LL but it's so expensive ...

True. Makes you stick to it though! And the meetings are really surprisingly helpful for motivation and for getting to the root of your eating issues. I tend to just think of how much I used to spend on takeaways. But if it's just beyond your pocket, then the CD is more viable.

Hi there, we've moved this into Big/slim/whatever weight loss club. Thanks.

Why can't you just do sensible calorie counting? The only people I know who have done lighterlife have lost lots then gained it all back and more.

Join a calorie counting site, work out your meals based on your calorie allownace, look at where you have too much carbs/fat/sugar and adjust the meals to be higher protein etc. Factor in snacks so you don't feel too hungry and the weight will fall off in a sensible, sustainable way and you will learn about portion control, optimum eating for less hunger and most energy etc.

Or you could just starve yourself out of desperation.

Cut down on your carbohydrates. No need to spend money on Lighter Life or some such.

Come and have a look at the Bootcamp threads for some inspiration!

"Why can't you just do sensible calorie counting?"

I'm assuming she's been trying that for a while and it ain't worked!

I am in the middle of doing the CD and my start weight was 12 stone 4. It is now 5 weeks later and I am 10 stone 6 and a 'normal' weight and BMI so it works.

OK, it is a quick fix. And no, you can't go from eating 430 calories a day to 1500 overnight- you need to work up a bit.

As to putting the weight back on... yes, you will if you return to old eating habits. Same with any other diet plan be is low carbing or SW.

What is CD and LL?

I did Cambridge for 9 weeks and lost 2 stone. I decided to take a break for a bit and wish I hadn't. It's very hard to get into. Once you're past the first 4 days it becomes quite easy. I wasn't tempted to cheat but it's really easy to pick food up, especially at parties, without thinking about it. I'm really struggling to get back into it but I'm much happier now it's less of a worry. Within a week your clothes will be looser and you can visibly see a difference week on week which is a massive motivator.

Cambridge Diet

Lighter Life

Yes, it's a very 'motivating' diet and the results are super speedy. However, as DeepPurple says, it is really tough to get into. the first week or so is a killer and after that...well, it's just boring really.

I have mixed feelings on it. I wanted to be size 10 again. I have spent 6 years at a very chubby size 14/16... within two months I am sat here wearing a size 10 top and size 12 jeans. I am going to stop in the next 3 or 4 weeks and then follow the principles of SW but low carbing as much as possible.

I would say 'go for it ' but bear in mind that it is NOT easy but completely do able.

Is it really expensive?

depends really.

I am 'sole sourcing' so I have just three cambridge products a day, no food at all. Each shake/soup/porridge is £1.95 and a bar is £2.15. It costs me £40 ish a week. I would spend more than this usually on my food for the week - mainly because I was partial to Waitrose cakes etc!

I want to lose 2.5 stone.
I tried WW last dec but despite sticking to it faithfully I didn't lose a pound...it worries me that I am just not suited to calorie counting iyswim?

If you drastically reduce your calorie intake you will lose weight at first, but then your metabolism will go into starvation mode and conserve calories and you will stop losing weight. As soon as you start eating normally it will pile back on. Quick fix diets don't work. Changing your eating habits do.

That is not scientifically correct bunbaker I'm afraid. Your metabolism does not go into 'starvation mode' and you do not pile weight back on when you start eating normally.

HOWEVER...You DO pile weight back on if you return to eat rubbish and vast amounts as you were doing to get you overweight in the first place..

I am trying to go low carb as I think I have candida and I crave carbs and sweet things...
I don't like the idea of eating only soup and shakes but I am desperate...I am not far off obese now :(
That being said have been pretty good since Sunday...only had a half glass of cola (was at a party) and 2 small pieces of homemade gluten free flapjack...no bread, no cakes or sweets...no juice or squash. No chips, or fast food.
Am feeling quite pleased in one way, but just want it to be FAST!
It's easy to eat fruit and salad when the weather is like this though isnt it?
Any nice soup recipes? For summer?

Well it is true and it isn't MyTits...firstly you lose weight, then your body adjusts and your metabolism slows. This is proven fact. Your body will start to conserve fat if it can. If you continue to starve follow the diet you will continue to lose fat, once all the fat has gone your body will start usinjg muscle for fuel, this is why anorexics die, as your heart is supported by muscle.

'Starvation mode' is relevant to people who are calorie counting because consistently eating a few 100 a day too few will slow weightloss. It isn't relevant to VLCDers because they go past that point.

I understand how it can be possible, I'm currently fasting for ramadan and I'm not hungry during the day at all. It is mind over matter. I also think it teaches nothing about healthy eating, portion control or eating the right foods to stay full. I think this is why so many people gain weight again, because they have complex issues with food and VLCDs don't address that.

Calorie counting works for me because I'm not food dependent but I am greedy and my natural appetite is at a level that keeps me 1-2 stone overweight. I find it easy to adjust my diet to lose weight healthily. Lots of people don't find that easy but I'm not convinced that VLCDs are the answer.

VLCDs are definitely not the answer for a lot of folk, that's true. You can't be 'totally desperate ' and just 'want to lose the weight immediately ' ... You have to give lots of thought as to what you will do to maintain your new weight, the changes you will make and really think about what sort of an eater you are.

I'm a compulsive eater as opposed to an emotional eater. I can eat cake when I'm full, that's for sure. So I'm currently examining how I'm going to change this as I get closer to my target weight.

I tried it for five days, before giving up. Try it and see how you go, you might have more will power than me! Good luck x

Calorie counting works for me too as a rule - with an eye towards the carbs. I avoid bread, pasta and rice as a general rule and ensure that I don't base my meals around carbs. So - if I was to eat toast for breakfast for example, I wouldn't have a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner. I'm convince that keeping an eye on calories, eating a diet that is moderate in carbs and keeping fats to a minimum ( cakes etc ) is the way to go long term

I am 6' tall. I once weighed over 18 stone and now hover around 12. I lost this more than 15 yrs ago, put a couple of stone on with each DC but have managed to lose them with lowish carbing (not hard core no carbs but avoid bread, potatoes, sugar etc). I agree there is no such thing as a quick fix, these severally restrictive diets are difficult to stick to, restrictive to follow and left me feeling tired and grumpy. You don't get to this weight by accident (from personal experience) so you need to xhange your way of eating completely and accept it is a lifetime commitment. You will need to exercise too, it makes you feel good about yourself honestly! Just walking to start with is fine.

I really struggled to get motivated again after DC2 but then told myself I owed it to my DCs for them to have a healthy mother so I stopped staving off the constant tiredness through lack of sleep and addressed my eating habits and started walking and occasionally swimming again.
You can't just diet then stop; the weight comes back. There are some great threads on here to support. I lurk in BIWI's and QueenStrombas low carb threads as I feel they're really motivational.

Good luck!

Don't lurk, keepmoving! Come and join us!

This is worth reading, about calorie counting

KeepMoving talks a lot of sense. Most overweight people are overweight simply because they eat more calories than they expend. Changing the way that you eat and your lifestyle is a much better long term fix for losing weight without piling it back on.

Yes I see that.
I worry that even if you lose the weight you would pile it back on afterwards.
It's common sense really, isn't it?
I am doing low carb (well low carb for me!) by not having bread, cakes etc.
I am finding it veryntgh though....my debit was pretty much carb based and therein lies my issue I think.
I have just had an omelette and salad which I enjoyed but I am not sure about this evening...gluten free pasta or jacket potato with salad?
Am roasting a chicken tomorrow night for tea so will have that and salad and pick at it when I am hungry too.
I have been eating much more meat than usual...ham, bacon etc and am trying to eat at least 2 pieces of fruit a day too.
It might be my imagination but I am on day 4 of my diet and I think my shorts are looser!!
Really need to weight myself and then I will know for sure....